Nicole Bianchi

Writing, Copywriting, & Marketing Strategies

How To Use “The Hero’s Journey” in Fiction and Nonfiction Writing (video)

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I’m excited to share a new video with you today! 

It’s all about the fantastic story template called the Hero’s Journey. In this video, I look at how you can use this template for both fiction and nonfiction to make your writing more compelling and captivate your readers.

I hope you enjoy the video! It would be awesome if you could give it a thumbs up and leave a comment. Have you used the hero’s journey before or will you use it in a future piece of writing? Also make sure to subscribe to my channel if you haven’t already!

I’ve just started making YouTube videos and really appreciate your support. I hope the video inspires you with your writing. Thanks for watching! 

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3 Powerful Writing Exercises from Ursula K. Le Guin’s “Steering the Craft”

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Last year, I compiled two articles sharing writing exercises from famous authors. Writing exercises give you a fantastic way to strengthen specific skills through deliberate practice. They can also help you spark new ideas for stories or memoir essays or blog posts (very helpful if you’re struggling with writer’s block!).

In response to the articles, a reader asked if I had ever read Ursula K. Le Guin’s book Steering the Craft (Amazon affiliate link), saying it was filled with a powerful set of writing exercises too.

Well, of course, I immediately put it on my to-read list. This past month I found a copy at my local library, and I dove in.

Le Guin was a sci-fi and fantasy author, but her book Steering the Craft is a useful guide for both fiction and nonfiction writers.

It deals with the nuts and bolts of the craft of writing and the subtle stylistic choices that will help you take your writing to the next level. For example, there’s a chapter on how to select the best point of view for your piece. Each chapter ends with several writing exercises so you can put into practice what you learned.

[Read more…]

New Course: Grow Your Email List Fast

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To kick off the new year, I’m excited to announce the release of my new online course: “Email Marketing for Writers: Grow Your Email List Fast.”

A few years ago, I wrote a little eBook about how to grow an email list. But a lot has changed in the marketing and blogging world since I published that book. 

So I’ve updated and expanded it and turned it into a brand new course (now with a section on how to make money from your list).

You can get all the details about it on this page (and discover why an email list is so powerful and so important for writers).

As a thank you for being one of my subscribers and to celebrate launch week, the course is available for just $97 for the next seven days only (the price will go up to $125 after that).

Keep in mind that…

  1. This comprehensive, hands-on course leads you step-by-step from getting your very first email subscriber all the way to promoting your first product to your audience.
  2. With this course as your guide, you won’t have to worry anymore about how to promote your blog and writing and find your audience online. The course will equip you with the strategies for building a loyal community so you can help more people and be able to devote your time to the projects you’re passionate about.
  3. The price goes up next week. So if you want to start building an email list, be sure to sign up as soon as you can!

If you have any questions at all about the course, let me know in the comments. 🙂

Or you can go ahead and check out all the details right here.

Don’t put it off though! This offer will be gone in just a few days.

I can’t wait to help you on your journey to grow your online audience!

The Powerful Ingredient in ‘A Christmas Carol’ That Will Make Your Writing and Marketing Compelling

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Illustration of Scrooge and Marley's Ghost from the first edition of A Christmas Carol
Illustration from the first edition of A Christmas Carol | Scanned image by Philip V. Allingham via Victorianweb.org

Every Christmas Eve, my whole family gathers around the TV to watch the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol. It’s one of our favorite traditions.

(If you haven’t seen this version, you can watch it on YouTube here — I believe it’s the best film adaptation of Charles Dickens’s classic story.)

No matter how many times I watch it, my heart is always touched by each scene. I feel the happiness of the crowd at Fezziwig’s party. Tears come to my eyes when Bob Cratchit cries over his poor Tiny Tim.

But, most of all, I love Alastair Sim’s wonderful performance as Scrooge — how he convincingly portrays Scrooge’s change from heartless and tightfisted to kind and joyous.

You watch with delight as the once grim man can’t stop laughing and smiling and stunning all with his kindness, even while muttering to himself, “I don’t deserve to be so happy.”

What makes stories like A Christmas Carol so enthralling? Why do we love watching movies like these year after year?

In today’s post, let’s look at one ingredient that makes stories like A Christmas Carol so powerful and emotionally compelling. It’s an ingredient you can use to make any type of writing captivate your readers, whether you’re working on a short story, a blog post, or even a sales page. [Read more…]

5 Exercises From Famous Authors That Will Sharpen Your Writing Skills

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Hand gripping sharpened pencil and writing in notebook | 5 Exercises From Famous Authors That Will Improve Your Writing
Photo by Thought Catalog

Pianists practice scales to strengthen their skills like rhythm and timing. Artists might sketch a hundred human hands until they’ve mastered drawing that body part realistically. Dancers will practice a dance move countless times until their footwork and technique are flawless.

Just like those other artists, writers can sharpen specific skills through deliberate practice.

Are you struggling to write vivid descriptions? Or craft concise sentences?

In today’s post, I’m sharing five powerful creative writing exercises from famous authors that will help you practice those essential skills and many more.

Let’s get started. [Read more…]